San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-17
A Dangerous Game.
BY THE AUTHOR OF "MYnrAREsr HEART"

By THE AUTHOR OF my pEAREsT HEART"
be out OF place. Where was no e knew
anything about II, or took any heed OF my
feelings or spirits, so long rs | looked after
my duties and kept the little boys out OF
mischief
1t was the first Christmas | had spent
away from home, and the season made il by
no means an idle time for me- this excited,
present-giving, mcrry-making period, in the
midst Of large family If eager boys and
girls home for the holidays. had no less
sons to superintend; but had games TO
devise, pursuits to advise gifts to invent in
vitatiOns to address, and endl IS secrets TO
share-half dozen children, instead Of two,
to look after. My hands were full.
you must not let the children make q
slave Of you, Miss ThOrne, " said their moth
er amiably.
But l did not care; liked to have plenty
TO do.
GwendOline's letter had filled my heart
with wild hopes and fears; | thought of her
and of Gilbert all day long. | wondered at
first il he knew yet that was innocent, that
all his suspicious We're based on air. Had
he forgiven meP And then followed the
terrible shuddering thought, Would he be
taken from me by the cold hands that could
part US for ever on earth, by the decree no
human will could alter or revoke? No
tongue could tell of the fever in which
lived after that letter from GwendOline
reached me, of the joy and the agony, the
triumph and the terror, the sweetness and
the bitterness that flooded my soul with
turbulent emotion. knew what Gwendo-
hau .hn
bring her proud sensitive nature to confess
how she had stopped to folly; and cannot
say how thankful was that what she had
done for me should have brought blessing
on herself.
Henceforth all was clear between her and
Martin POmerOy; there could be no more
concealment, for he knew and had forgiven
all; there could be no fear, for perfect love
had cast 1t out
But what of Gilbert?
There came one sentence written in the
big bold hand knew and loved, now feeble
and uncertain-only one sentence, and that
from the song he used to sing, the song
which had been waited to my ears by the
low gray wall
Dear love, love thee evermore."
HE Is not well enough to write more"
said GwendOline. but the worst Of the
danger has passed, Viola. He says he will
get well now, and the doctor hopes it."
Only hOpedl 1t seemed very hard that he
was so far from me then, that could not
hear Of him every hour and watch his re-
cOyery. / thought l could have cured him
so much more quickly than any doctor; and
now it was days and days before l could
even learn whether he were out Of danger.
And then one mail came in, and brought no
letter for me.
No letter, no word of him at this Christ
mas season, when every one was happy; and
! cried out against this darkness Of double
and loneliness, while already the golden
dawn was at hand.
On Christmas Day walked down alone
to an early service at the church, to sOothe
and comfort me little by taking my
thoughts higher, above this earthly life; but,
as | came back down the white road, let
my thoughts wander once more to Marlands.
In snow and sunshine | had seen it last;
snow and sunshine were around me now,
and the trees glistened and the fields daz-
zled my eyes with their whiteness. There
was no Manor House looming through the
morning mist and the bare branches, there
were no glittering windows or outlines Of
turrets and gables, there was no lake spark
ling in the sun.
could hear some distant bells changing
jOyOusly, and | stood by the garden gate
listening to their peaceful gladness. The
chimes came but nOwand again, borne upon
the breeze in soft and sweet cadence, and
their whisper was gentle and calming In
the frosty haze through which the sun was
struggling saw pictures of the past and
transient CLEANS of the future.
As | stood dreaming there, | saw man
coming up the road, tall dark figure stand
ing out strongly from the white snow and
the sunlit background. l watched him-I
did not first know why-intently; and my
feet were chained to the spot where l stood,
and my heart began to thrOb and my pulses
to beat until could no longer hear the bells.
He came nearer, and still / stood trem-
bling and shaking like leaf, unable to
move my eyes from his advancing figure
unable to think clearly why | was gazing
out and staring thus intensely, whether my
dreaming had been succeeded by hallucina-
ton, and crazed phantasm was filling my
brain and making my eyes the fools of the
other senses.
And then l saw handsome fair face,
thinner than had seen and known it of
yOre, and pair of bright eager eyes, And
when saw them | saw nothing more, and
knew nothing more but that | was in Gil
bert'S arms and listening to his voice, and
that suddenly l heard again the jOy-bells,
not whispering now, but bursting into
wild triumphant peal of happiness and
peace.
THE END.
mt mn N0h1